Hopefully this finds you having enjoyed
a great holiday season and off to a solid start in this New Year!
To reach your full potential as a leader
I am offering you tips from retired Air Force Reserve Maj. Gen. William A.
Cohen professor of leadership at California State University, Bill Gates,
four questions to assess your skills and an offer for an action planner!
The 8 Keys to Leadership
Greatness
1. Maintain
absolute integrity. You cannot maintain your integrity 90% and be a leader,
it"s got to be 100%.
2. Know your
stuff. Do what it takes so you can show your know your stuff.
3. Declare your
vision. In fewer than 25 words know how your plan for the next five years
and be able to recite it to your team.
4. Show uncommon
commitment. Foster and maintain focus, determination, will and belief
5. Expect
positive results. Start by turning disadvantages into advantages -
successful leaders look for those opportunities.
6. Take care of
your people. An old adage that deserves repeating - take care of your
people and they"ll take care of you and each other.
7. Put duty
before self. Choosing what will serve your team best may take longer and be
harder but the end result will pay off to you many times over.
8. Stand out in
front. Be seen by your team as someone sho goes to bat not hides in their
office.
Four Lessons from Bill Gates
1. Take two
"retreats" every year. Leave your office to develop long-term
strategies.
2. Read book on
topics that don"t pertain strictly to your business or industry. It"s the
best way to maintain a broad perspective.
3. Identify
problems early by tracking "exceptions". An example such as sales
figures that suddenly sag for a particular product - jump on them right
away.
4. Stop at the
end of each day to analyze how well you used it. If you wasted time on
things you didn"t need to do, eliminate them tomorrow.
Meet the Leadership Challenge
Answer these four questions to assess
how well you lead in certain circumstances.
1. If you"re angry or disappointed with an employee"s actions, you"re likely
to:
a. Express your disappointment or displeasure.
b. Let the
person discover the consequences of his or her actions.
c. Think about
the message you want to convey, then act accordingly.
d. Eat a carton
of Twinkies to bury your disappointment.
2.
The most important trait for you to display when leading a team is:
a. The wisdom of Solomon.
b. The
inspirational power of Dr. Martin Luther King.
c. The patience
of Job.
d. The restraint
of Adam Sandler in Anger Management.
3. When you lead a department meeting you:
a. Sum up the meeting"s purpose and warm up the crowd with a quick, 15-minute
monologue.
b. Ask
open-ended questions and lead discussion.
c. Place a staff
member in charge and observe the group dynamics.
d. Fall asleep
during "old business".
4. When one of you r people admits a mistake, the first thing you do is:
a. Show support. (It"s great that you can admit your mistake.")
b. Downplay the
mistake"s impact. ("Don"t worry about it.")
c. Gently
chastise the person. ("Let"s make sure it doesn"t happen again.")
d. Ask follow-up
questions. ("What else have you screwed up?")
Answers :
1. C - Leaders
think before they speak, especially when negative emotions are involved -
but d is tempting!
2. b - All are valuable, but leaders who can"t inspire people aren"t leaders.
3. b - Leaders ask piercing questions and encourage free-flowing
discussions - at least while they"re awake!
4. a - Leaders support people who acknowledge their errors.
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